SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

All those elements combine to make this picture.http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... LAY=FULLNo coalm mines or trains I'm afraid.I don't remember the subway. I'm assuming it was filled in when Briggate was pedestrianised. But from the comments below the picture you'll see there's some dispute. There was a gents toilet accessible from the centre of the road in years gone by but I would have thought a toilet accessed from the centre off the carriageway was considered a hazard even in the 60's.Any SLeedsers know?Digressions on the subject of cranes, buses (inc crew) and police anecdotes are permitted.

Cardiarms wrote: All those elements combine to make this picture.http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... LAY=FULLNo coalm mines or trains I'm afraid.I don't remember the subway. I'm assuming it was filled in when Briggate was pedestrianised. But from the comments below the picture you'll see there's some dispute. There was a gents toilet accessible from the centre of the road in years gone by but I would have thought a toilet accessed from the centre off the carriageway was considered a hazard even in the 60's.Any SLeedsers know?Digressions on the subject of cranes, buses (inc crew) and police anecdotes are permitted. I'm sure there was a subway, plus toilets at the junction of Briggate and Boar Lane in the sixties.As for cranes, I wonder if it was one of Sellers's that I posted about elsewhere?

Trojan wrote: Cardiarms wrote: All those elements combine to make this picture.http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... LAY=FULLNo coalm mines or trains I'm afraid.I don't remember the subway. I'm assuming it was filled in when Briggate was pedestrianised. But from the comments below the picture you'll see there's some dispute. There was a gents toilet accessible from the centre of the road in years gone by but I would have thought a toilet accessed from the centre off the carriageway was considered a hazard even in the 60's.Any SLeedsers know?Digressions on the subject of cranes, buses (inc crew) and police anecdotes are permitted. I'm sure there was a subway, plus toilets at the junction of Briggate and Boar Lane in the sixties.As for cranes, I wonder if it was one of Sellers's that I posted about elsewhere? I can confirm there WAS a Gents' at the junction of Briggateand Boar Lane. It was part of the centre 'island in Briggateand was mainly for the use of 'Desperate' tram drivers andconductors! They didn't have to cross the road,just jump off thedriver's platform and skip? down the steps!There was a similar loo at the junction of Wellington St,Wellington Rd and Kirkstall rd . It was right in the middle of the Rd oppositeFairbairn's corner and the St Philip's filling station

Bus, crane, crash, copper, subway, lost toilet, tram!:-D

Cardiarms wrote: All those elements combine to make this picture.http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... AY=FULLAny SLeedsers know? The answer is in the Leodis description of the picture. The offending crane was actually excavating the subway, which did contain modern toilets and was accessible from both sides of Briggate. I seem to remember that on wet days the light fawn floor tiling of the subway was like a skating rink, and you really had to watch your step.

Obviously seared on your mind. Falling in a toilet/subway must be most unpleasant. I've got absolutely no recollection of it at all.

Agreed, I was born in 66 and can just remember them, plus the gantries over Briggate when you coudl drive up there!.I worked at Virgin 86-88 and you could still drive up then !..

Cardiarms wrote: All those elements combine to make this picture.http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... LAY=FULLNo coalm mines or trains I'm afraid.I don't remember the subway. I'm assuming it was filled in when Briggate was pedestrianised. But from the comments below the picture you'll see there's some dispute. There was a gents toilet accessible from the centre of the road in years gone by but I would have thought a toilet accessed from the centre off the carriageway was considered a hazard even in the 60's.Any SLeedsers know?Digressions on the subject of cranes, buses (inc crew) and police anecdotes are permitted. Sure the toilets survived through the 50's - well documented elsewhere here, probably in Lost Loos Equally sure there was no subway, folk used their eyes to avoid accidents back then!

There was definately a subway there - I can remember it as a kid, so mid 70's? Don't know when it closed though.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't a subway. If my memory serves me correctly it was an island in the road, you went down a short flight of stairs, turned right at the bottom and there was a urinal and maybe two or three toilets. It wasn't very big. At the top of the stairs were iron railings. I know time does have a habit of playing tricks with your memory.